2013 to May 2014: Deputy – Industry and Economics – West Azerbaijan[2] Organization for Industry, Mining and Trade

2011 to present: Member – Cyber Council[3] and advanced industries software group – Ministry of Mining and Technology

2002: Member – Founding council

Chair – Board of Directors – Amn Afzar Gostar Sharif[4] company[5]

2005 to present: Incorporated Payk Asa company

1995 to present: Member – Science council – Department of Computer Sciences Sharif University

1983-1986: Programmer – Dadepardazi Company

Human rights violations

In his official capacity as a member of High Cyber Council and founder of software and hardware development companies used by the government, he is responsible for filtering sites and blocking access to information. His companies[6] provide technical means for Iranian ministries and organs to control sites and social media. As a member of the High Council mandated with censorship of cyber space, he is in charge of state policies and decisions on controlling cyber space and a party to Islamic Republic’s violations of freedom of information. The Council is responsible for filtering many sites, including Facebook and YouTube.[7]

Based on “their role or relationship to censor and violation of human rights on behalf of the Islamic Republic government and support of terrorism” both his companies were placed on the US Department of the Treasury list of sanctions.[8] The Department announced sanctions were due to Jalili’s efforts to acquire SMS surveillance equipment since February 2009 and his role in the government’s efforts to censor the Internet since 2012.[9] The Treasury also states Amn Afzar company produces ‘Separ’ filtering software and hardware, used by Iranian Telecom and many ISP providers in Iran to block access to sites and monitor on-line activities. Amn Afzar also produces other surveillance tools such as Halal Web, Squid Escort Web Filter, Saran Web Filter. While Separ enables Iran’s cyber police to monitor exchanges on-line or erase content deemed illegal, Squid Escort helps filter the name, source, type and group ID based on URL.[10] In addition to providing tools for the government to monitor email and attachment, another of its products, Pars Gate, “provides for content filtering, traffic authentication, instant messaging (IM) and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) filtering, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) monitoring and filtering, and other services.”[11]

During an interview with Fars News Agency in 2005, Jalili stated: “Those sites which content violate moral, religious, cultural, social, family, state and political values are deemed illegal and will be filtered.” He then asked that the authorities merit the use of domestic expertise and tools over foreign products.[12]

His other telecommunication software development company incorporated in 2000, Payk Asa, is also placed on the US sanctions list. Rasoul Jalili is one of the “main influential” figures[13] responsible for filtering Gmail to force users to rely on his company’s email system in order to maximise profit.[14]